Stage Notes is a weekly aggregate post about theater, classical music, dance, comedy and stage news, events, reviews and other pertinent information.
Opening this week:
Rover Dramawerks: 10-Minute Comedies, opened Thursday-Aug. 15.
Onstage in Bedford: Crimes of the Heart, opened Thursday-Aug. 16.
Jubilee Theatre: Klook and Vinette, today-Aug. 21.
Broadway at the Bass: Suffs, Tuesday-Aug. 9, pictured.
Onstage now:
Mesquite Arts Theatre: Perfect Wedding, through Aug. 2.
Repertory Company Theatre: Finding Neverland, through Saturday, pictured.
MainStage ILC: Inherit the Wind, through Aug. 8.
Meow Wolf: Phenomenonaly, through Aug. 8.
Runway Theatre: Ken Ludwig’s A Comedy of Tenors, through Aug. 9.
Theatre Frisco: Big Fish, through Aug. 9.
Amphibian Stage: The Shark is Broken, through Aug. 16.
Pocket Sandwich Theatre: King Arthur & Merlin: A Tale of Sword & Sorcery, through Aug. 22.
Uptown Players doubles up in August at Theatre Three
Uptown Players goes big as it finishes its 2025/26 season in August. The company will present to productions playing at the same time. The company also takes over Theatre Three’s house for its seasons finale.
On the T3 mainstage, Uptown will present the regional premiere of Mother Play: A Play in Five Evictions directed by Cheryl Denson from Aug. 21-30.
Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel brings this personal story inspired by her own family. The show follows Phyllis and her children, Martha and Carl, from 1962 to the present through a lifetime of upheaval, resilience, laughter, heartbreak and unconditional love.
Blending humor with emotional honesty, the play explores family dynamics, queerness,
and the complicated relationships that shape our lives. The Uptown Players production
stars Cara Statham Serber as Phyllis, Leslie Marie Collins as Martha, and Ryan Michael
Friedman as Carl.
“For more than two decades, Uptown Players has sought out stories that challenge audiences while creating empathy and connection,” Craig Lynch, Executive Producer of Uptown Players said in a press release earlier this week. “Paula Vogel has written a play that is deeply personal yet universally recognizable. It is a fitting conclusion to our season because it reminds us that family, in all its complexity, remains one of the most powerful stories we can tell.”
On the Theatre Too stage downstairs, the company revisits the show Application Pending, the one-actor comedy starring B.J. Cleveland. Originally presented as a streaming production during the pandemic quarantine, the comedy will have its first full live theatrical engagement.
Director Linda Leonard helms this satire of Manhattan’s elite private school admissions process, the play follows an inexperienced admissions director as anxious parents and demanding faculty members collide. Cleveland will portray more than 40 characters in this comedy written by Greg Edwards and Andy Sandberg.
Director Linda Leonard said in the release, “The comedy is hilarious because it is rooted in recognizable human behavior. BJ’s ability to create dozens of memorable character
makes every performance an exhilarating ride.”
The show runs August 20–30.
Tickets for both productions are available at UptownPlayers.org.
Fort Worth’s Atchley Opera announces a classic opera with old Hollywood vibes
Atchley Opera announced that its version of Così fan tutte is a throwback to old Hollywood. The spectacle will open next week for a one-night only performance. This new production transports Mozart’s masterpiece to the glam of a 1940s Hollywood film studio. The production blends vintage cinematic style with Mozart’s score for a romantic comedy with an operatic backdrop.
“Così fan tutte has always been a comedy about performance,” the Atchley production team stated in a press release. “Setting the opera on a Golden Age film set allows us to celebrate that theatricality in a way that feels both nostalgic and surprisingly fresh. It’s a world where Mozart meets movie magic.”
Così fan tutte will be staged at the Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts.
For tickets, click here.
Bishop Arts Theatre Center to launch a new civic conversation series
On Monday, Making Black History Today and Bishop Arts Theatre Center (BATC) today announced the launch of The State of Black Dallas, a new quarterly civic conversation series convening community leaders, educators, historians, policymakers and residents to examine the issues shaping Black Dallas.
The series’ inaugural forum, Education & Equity, is schedule for Aug. 27 at the Bishop Arts Theatre. The evening opens at 5 p.m. with a community networking hour, followed by the main program at 6:15 p.m. and an audience Q&A.
Rather than a traditional panel discussion, The State of Black Dallas is designed as a civic forum, gathering experts, community members, and local leaders to address a different issue affecting Black Dallas.
Pics from Drunk Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet at Deep Ellum Art Co.
This wild twist on Shakespeare’s most famous love story in unhinged to say the least. The show is at least based on R+J but don’t go here expecting a full-on production of the classic show. Drunk Shakespeare mixes melodrama, immersive audience interaction and shots for an irreverent night of theater.
You don’t need the premise of R+J, bt the premise of Drunk Shakespeare centers on one cast member who takes five shots before attempting to perform a leading role while the rest of the cast tries to keep the show on track.
Impossible to review, my takeaways were many. With a cast of five, everyone was a principal actor but I was a little disappointed that the actor downing the five shots wasn’t playing Romeo. Seems like that would have been a given.
While I didn’t expect an actual R+J show, the directions the night went in were always hilariously clever. A sex toy sword fight, a live auction for the throne and pop music numbers all kept the show filled with great energy. There was never a dull moment.
A complimentary shot was certainly a welcoming gesture. Can more theaters do this? Just a thought.
The show runs through Septmember with more information here.
The show does allow photography. Here are some scenes from the show’s media night last week:
ICYMI
Review: Amphibian’s The Shark is Broken is a Hollywood bts story like no other
Queer actor pays homage to the historic women of Suffs
Dallas Theater Center, ATTPAC announce merger plans to strengthen the future of performing arts
–Rich Lopez
